


The Augurey Chronicles

by NymeriaW



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2016-09-23
Packaged: 2018-08-16 16:44:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8109940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NymeriaW/pseuds/NymeriaW
Summary: Just when Delphi thinks all hope is out, a person from her past rescues her from Azkaban and answers all the question she has about her family. [Despite the title, Delphi is not the only protagonist of the story. Other characters' POVs are explored, as well as the circumstances surrounding Delphi's birth. Voldemort appears in flashbacks. Bellamort].





	1. A caged Augurey

**Author's Note:**

> This story is partly my own headcanon, and partly an attempt to explain how the revelations from CC fit with the previous books. Characters' thoughts are in italics, maybe it's obvious (yes, I am shamelessly copying GoT). 
> 
> The idea that Azkaban replaced Dementors with human guards comes from Pottermore. 
> 
> Descriptions of characters are based on the books and my own imagination, not the movie/play actors. Sorry, I'm a book purist. Hopefully this isn't too jarring.

### A caged Augurey 

Her cell was cold and damp. Even during the day there was barely any light, the cell had just a tiny window more like a crack in the wall high enough so the prisoners couldn't reach it. It gave her no view outside but let in the chilly air. She sat on the floor with her legs drawn up to her chest and her arms around them. It felt like giving herself a hug. _Who else will hug me?_ And somewhat protected her from the cold. 

She had only been locked up a week yet already she could feel Azkaban getting to her. She kept thinking that Bellatrix Lestrange had spent 14 years in Azkaban so surely her daughter would not be weaker. Especially since there were no longer Dementors at Azkaban. But her mother had been waiting for her father to come and release her so she had that hope to live on. Who would come for Delphi? Euphemia Rowle? She laughed to herself. _The old hag is probably thrilled that her silly ”prophecy” came true regarding my fate._ Her trial was in a few days, yet she was sure that as long as Minister Granger had something to say about it (and she surely did) there was no chance for her to spend less than a lifetime in Azkaban. She had seen the woman's angry face looking down at her, threatening her with the same fate her mother had while she was begging to be killed or have her memory erased, a type of death in itself. _Yet my mother escaped..._

Granger, Weasley, Potter. They had ruined her family a long time ago and now also her chance of ever getting back what she'd lost. She needed someone to speak in her favor at the trial and to plead for a reduced sentence for her. But who? She had no friends, merely some casual acquaintaces. It was not like she could be honest with anyone regarding who she really was. Her father had never needed nor wanted friends. The Malfoy man who was actually her cousin had treated her with nothing but disdain and anger. _That might have something to do with me trying to kill his son..._ He would certainly not speak in her favor. 

Would Rodolphus Lestrange speak up for her? The man had been friendly enough when she tracked him down and asked him some questions only to confirm what she already suspected. But Delphi realized hat he would be in no rush to save his wife's illegitimate daughter and doubted that he even knew what had happened to her. He seemed anxious to get as far away from England as possible. It was hardly likely that he would show up at the Ministry and risk his own barely gotten freedom to defend her, the product of his wife's infidelity. She felt a bit sorry for him. Her mother had never given him any heirs yet she did so for her master. Her father, the Dark Lord. She had been so close to meeting him yet was denied the encounter. Worse still, she had been fooled into revealing herself to Potter and his friends. The only comfort was what that boy Scorpius had told her about the Augurey. Her father would have welcomed her by his side if he'd lived. A bittersweet thought now as her loss felt even greater. _I will die in here..._

Her thoughts were interrupted by her cell door opening. Surely it was too late for supper as she was quite sure even without a watch that it was the middle of the night. A bald, plump man stepped in wearing what appeared to be Auror robes. _Now what?_

”Girl, come here, quickly!” he commanded gesturing with his hand. He was looking around and behind him all the time seemingly worried about something. He didn't want to come inside. She looked at him but said nothing and made no move towards him. 

”Come now, silly girl, I don't have all night,” he said angrily. What was this now? By the way he was acting, he certainly didn't seem to have any authority to be in her cell or call her to him. She got up and backed away until her back touched the cold wall. _This doesn't seem right._ She felt her pulse quickening as she guessed what he wanted. It wasn't unheard of for Azkaban guards to take freedoms with female prisoners. One of the downsides of replacing Dementors with humans. She knew she was among the pretty ones. That little Potter boy had been drooling all over her and there had been more like him even in her short lifetime.  
The man lost his patience. He walked quickly to her and grabbed her before she could react. 

”Calm down or I will Stun you I swear”, he hissed. ”We need to go now or both our heads will roll.” Was he here to get her out? She wasn't entirely convinced but she let him lead her out of the cell and then quickly outside the prison walls. She saw no other Aurors anywhere, the man must have gotten rid of them somehow. She could hear the waves clashing and feel the chilly night air on her skin. She shivered wearing only a thin Azkaban robe, designed for indoor use only of course. 

The man reached for something in his robes. He took out a small object which looked like a potion bottle and forced her hand into his and on the tiny bottle. What followed was perceived by her as only a whirl as the Portkey took them far away. 

They appeared in front of a small dilapidated house. It looked odd and uninhabited. Delphi had remembered reading about it, the Shrieking Shack it was called. She knew her father had used it as a hiding place during the Battle of Hogwarts. Her heart raced. Maybe she was going to be met here by a friend, one of her father's followers... _Or maybe I'm going to get murdered in there._ Fear got the best of her. Before the man got to his feet, she kicked him hard and made a run for it. She didn't get too far when his spell made her trip and fall and pinned her to the ground. He pulled her roughly to her feet and slapped her. 

”Silly girl! If I don't deliver you to her she'll kill my whole family so you'd better cooperate because there's nowhere to run where I wouldn't find you.” He started dragging her towards the Shack. 

”Who's _she_? What are you talking about?”, Delphi asked still struggling in his grasp. ”I'm not going back to that bitch Euphemia.” Yet she would go anywhere he wanted to take her, she knew it. Wandless, there wasn't much she could do. _If I had my wand you would be in pieces right now._

The man didn't answer her queries but waved his wand and the wooden door, which had been sealed shut a few seconds ago, opened up and let them in. The house looked abandoned except for a faint light in one of the back rooms. The few pieces of furniture inside looked like someone had smashed them and had thick layers of dust on them. Delphi wrinkled her nose; there was also an unpleasant smell. The man sat her down on a ragged armchair, waved his wand and a thin chain snapped shut around her foot binding her to the floor. She pulled at it stupidly as the man walked into the adjoining room. Delphi could hear him talking to someone: 

”She's here now, Madam, in the other room. Promise me nothing bad will happen to my family,” he said, his voice sounding desperate now. 

”You have my word,” said a woman's voice which Delphi didn't recognize. ”What would I want with your family? _Avada Kedavra_.” Delphi heard a thud and knew the man had fallen to the ground dead. She started tugging at her chain rather desperately now. Whoever this woman was, her intentions were not good. She must have one of those people who had lost family members to her father's cause and now wanted revenge. As grateful as Delphi was that the woman had broken her out of Azkaban, she needed to be on her merry way or risk being at the mercy of an even more dangerous foe than prison or Aurors. She would make the chain break and run as fast as she could. She knew some wandless magic and muttered a series of incantations without any use. She heard high heels coming towards her on the wooden floors and the door to her room creaking open. Suddenly the chain broke and vanished but not because of Delphi's efforts. The woman had unbound her. 

”Delphini!” The woman was looking at her up and down. ”I like what you've done to your hair but we're going to have to find you better clothes,” she said smiling.  
Delphi wanted to run but her legs wouldn't move. Her knees had gone weak so she felt herself unwillingly sitting back down in the mouldy armchair, her face looking up at the woman in shock. 

There was no mistaking that face. Her black hair was a bit shorter now, barely reaching her breasts and her blue eyes were sparkling beneath bangs. Otherwise she was as tall and thin as in the pictures Delphi had seen of her. But how could this be?

”Stay away from me!”, Delphi shrieked. ”I don't know who you are or _what_ you are but you shouldn't come near me.” 

”I think you know who I am,” the woman said, the same amused smile upon her face. 

”I know you're impersonating a dead woman,” Delphi spat. ”What sick ruse is this?” Delphi was unsure exactly how Polyjuicing oneself into a dead person worked. If the Polyjuice always made the impersonator taking it look like the person they were impersonating looked at the moment then Delphi would have been talking to a live skeleton right now instead of the beautiful and alive looking woman in front of her. After twenty years, there wouldn't be much left of her mother. _Or my father._ The thought of his corpse decaying made her sad but she immediately snapped back to reality. 

The woman backed away from her a few steps. ”I know everything must be very shocking right now but if you'll come with me I will explain everything to you. Just not here, it's not safe.” 

”You're mad if you think I'm going anywhere with you”, said Delphi even angrier. ”Either you start expaining or — ” she couldn't do much without a wand, she remembered suddenly — ”or stay away from me!” she finished stupidly. 

The woman looked at her with seriousness in her eyes no longer smiling now. ”I know you thought I was dead,” she said, ”because of this”. She undid a couple of buttons on her dress and pulled the fabric aside to reveal an ugly scar right above her heart. 

Delphi was taken aback for a moment but then burst into an hysterical laughter. ”Like that proves anything”, she said. ”Even if my mother had survived the curse that killed her she would be in her sixties by now. You don't even look fifty to me, _Mum_ ,” she mocked. _Just because I like what you're selling, lady, doesn't mean I'll buy it._

”That's true of course. Do you really think an impostor would be as foolish as to not know this?” Bellatrix asked her calmly. 

”Then please explain this miraculous survival of yours which has apparently also rendered you incapable of aging,” said Delphi sarcastically. She no longer wanted to run away, though. Her curiosity had got the best of her and there was nothing to run to anyway. 

”I will,” said Bellatrix. ”But not here. You'll have to come with me, we can't stay here for long lest someone might show up. That guard I killed, someone will soon notice his absence. He Stunned his colleagues but it won't last long. We need to move to a safer location.” She stepped towards Delphi. Delphi recoiled from her outstretched hand. ”Take my hand and let's Disapparate”, she said. 

Delphi didn't move unsure of what she should do. She could just push the woman or hit her and run but she probably wouldn't come far. If the stupid guard was able to stop her then certainly Bellatrix Lestrange was too. Nonsense, this isn't my mother!

Bellatrix wasn't a patient woman. ”Now Delphini! Let's go!” she shrieked seeing the girl's hesitation. Delphi grabbed her hand and soon the Shack was dissolving in front of her eyes. 

They Apparated inside what looked like a living room. Bellatrix waved her wand and turned on the light and the fire place. Delphi was grateful as she had been friezing all this time yet temporarily forgot about it during the night's strange revelations. She was still wearing her Azkaban robes and had no shoes on. Her feet were now standing on a dark wooden floor which looked very clean and warm. The room had some modest furniture and a dark shade of crimson on the walls. The sofa looked inviting so she went and sat down with her cold feet under her. _This room could use some brighter colors. Maybe I could... no, stop it! I'm not considering moving in with this crazy impostor,_ she berated herself.

Bellatrix's voice interrupted her thoughts. ”Maybe you'd like something warm to drink. Oh, and some food of course”. She waved her wand and a pot of tea and some sandwiches appeared on the table in front of Delphi. Tempting as it was to feel the warm liquid down her throat and get some food in her belly she couldn't trust this woman enough to eat or drink anything she offered. 

Bellatrix seemed to have read her thoughts. ”You think I would posion you? Very well.” She went ahead and poured herself some tea and drank from it. ”I prefer more violent ways of killing people”, she said and smiled wickedly. 

”Is that supposed to amuse me? Start talking please!” Delphi commanded. ”I look forward to hearing your convoluted tale and lies.” 

Bellatrix laughed softly, her teeth like small white diamonds. _She's beautiful... But she's not real!_

”I suppose you already know about the final battle so there's no point in my telling you about that,” Bellatrix said, her fingers drumming softly against the mug in her hand. ”I would rather not relive that terrible day myself either, ”she said looking down with a sad expression on her face. She began pacing the room.

”Needless to say I survived the battle. What you see today before you is the real me... although perhaps I am a bit more than I was.”

”A bit more?” Delphi frowned. 

”The curse which hit me should have killed me,” Bellatrix said a bit louder than her previous calm tone. ”Yet I survived. It was all thanks to your father actually.”

_How could my father have saved her life if he died only moments after her?_

”I'm sure you've read everything that's been written about your father. All the history books.” 

Delphi nodded. How could she have not? Her fascination with her father could never be sated no matter how much information about him she received. 

”Then I'm sure you know what he did to ensure his immortality,” Bellatrix said. ”It would have worked had Potter and Dumbledore not found out his secrets. The Dark Lord was a very clever man and the most powerful wizard in the world. He would not share his secrets with anyone yet there were hints as to what he'd done. When he was vanquished the first time, me and some of his other faithful followers knew he would come back. I risked everything for it,” she said proudly.

_Your freedom,_ thought Delphi. 

”The Dark Lord's intention was that when he won the war, some of his most powerful and loyal Death Eaters will be rewarded. Not only would the secret of his immortality be shared with them but they would also be allowed to apply those measures to themselves should they wish it.”

Delphi's eyes widened. She understood now. 

”So you... so... you made a Horcrux?” she asked baffled. 

Bellatrix sighed. ”Not exactly... I was afraid. The Dark Lord shared his secret with me a while after he found out I was pregnant with you. I wasn't currently in his favor but bearing his child gave me some advantages over his other Death Eaters whom he planned on keeping in the dark a while longer. He suggested Horcruxes to me quite early on, before my belly even began to show. He assured me that you wouldn't be affected in any way and also assured me that I would not feel different at all. The soul was an unnecessary part of the body if left alone, he said. But use it wisely and it would turn into a weapon. The thought scared me. It felt... unnatural.” Bellatrix swallowed some tea and looked at the fireplace, into the flames. She seemed ashamed.

”I knew he was granting me a great honor yet here I was foolish enough to not accept it. My fear stopped me and for the first time in my life I could not concur it. He became very angry with me for my refusal. None of his arguments could persuade me. Even when he ordered me to do it I begged to be left alone. Then he... well he was more powerful than me of course let's leave it at that.” Bellatrix put her cup on the table. She wouldn't return Delphi's stare. 

”So he forced you?” Delphi asked. 

Bellatrix nodded. ”When I woke up it was all over and he was right. I didn't feel different at all. You seemed to be alright as well. He gave me this necklace.” She reached into her dress's cleavage and pulled out a simple crystal pendant. Delphi leaned it and looked at it closely. She couldn't shake the feeling of how alive it seemed. 

Bellatrix tucked it back in. ”I owe him my life. When I came to after being hit by the curse I was in terrible pain, my chest burning. All around me were dead Death Eaters, they had put as all in one room. Not my master though. I couldn't find his body yet I knew he was gone. I escaped and walked for days until I reached a foreign healing center. They knew nothing about our war or about who I was. They treated me, I was safe. But I was unconscious for a whole year. When I woke up, my first thought was of you but you were long gone. I searched and searched yet they had taken you away and hid you. I found out my sister had given you to the Rowles. I tried to track them down but they were scared and moved often trying to escape incarceration.” 

Delphi felt anger suddenly rising inside her. ”I don't believe you couldn't find me. You were alive yet you left me with that awful woman. She hated me!”

”I had no choice. The Rowles made a deal with the Ministry a few years after the battle and they were allowed their freedom. Leaving you with them would have given you a chance at a normal life. I could never return to our world. Everyone presumed me dead. At the first sign that this wasn't true, a horde of Aurors would have come looking for me.” Bellatrix seemed upset and regretful yet Delphi did not believe her.

”Oh okay. Now I get it, you wanted to keep yourself safe and a child would have only slowed you down,” said Delphi sarcastically.  
Bellatrix became angry. ”They would have hunted us both. Have you not understood me?” she shrieked. ”You could have never had a normal life with me. You couldn't have gone to Hogwarts— ”

”Well guess what! I didn't have a normal life without you either! Hogwarts, ha!” Delphi yelled, her anger matching her mother's. She got to her feet unsure on what she was planning to do. ”I didn't go to Hogwarts anyway, dear mother! My only family were people I bloody Imperioed into accepting me.” Her chest was heaving. She went to the window and looked out. 

Bellatrix made no move to stop her. ”I know all this”, she said calmly. ”But everything can be better from now on. You're a fugitive too now so it doesn't matter anymore. And you've proven that you don't need Hogwarts to do impressive magic.” 

_Appealing to my ego._ It was working. Delphi turned around to face her. An idea came to her. 

”You need to help me finish my mission”, she told Bellatrix eagerly. ”We both want father back I know it. We need to find the Time Turner and — ”

”No, Delphini,” Bellatrix interrupted shaking her head. 

Delphi crossed her arms and frowned. ”Well why not? You say you're my mother, my mother would want my father back.” 

”Of course I want your father back!” Bellatrix snapped. ”But interfering with time is a very dangerous business, Delphini. Has it not occured to you during your playing around with those boys that you might have erased your own existence?”

Delphi looked at the ceiling, blankly. It had not occured to her, that was true. Bellatrix didn't press the point. ”Your father is gone, as much as it pains me to admit it. His plan failed.” 

”Alright”, said Delphi. ”Then let's do something else. Let's go to Potter's house this very night and avenge my father. Let's kill his little brats in front of him, save his wife for last and then him. I'll let you kill the wife since trying to kill her was what got you killed last time.” Bellatrix said nothing. 

”Come on! It won't be hard for the two of us to overpower them. Potter is an average wizard at best. Or better yet”— Delphi's eyes were sparkling now — ”let's go to the Weasleys. Let's pay a visit to the woman who made me grow up without a mother.” Bellatrix shook her head. 

This was enough to set Delphi off again. ”You are such a coward! You're so afraid you'll lose your freedom and immortality that you won't even do this for father's sake. And yet you claim you loved him.”

Bellatrix's anger was so intense that her tea cup exploded, tea running down on the floor. She took a few steps towards Delphi who backed away in fear. 

”Don't you dare say I didn't love your father!” Her anger was making her hardly coherent and she grabbed Delphi by the shoulders and shook her. ”No one ever loved him like I did, get that into your thick skull! But if you think I'm going to blow my cover and have the Aurors on both of our tails because of some silly revenge scheme which will accomplish nothing then you certainly haven't inherited your father's brilliant mind.” 

Bellatrix let go and stood there looking at Delphi as though waiting for her next move. Delphi realized she had held her breath during her mother's outburst. She exhaled and looked down at her feet. ”So... do you really think my magic is impressive?” she asked timidly. 

Bellatrix smiled, her face looking kind again. ”Oh yes, certainly. I know all about your deeds and misdeeds. You really are your father's daughter. Although I must say that neither I nor your father ever wrote our plans on the walls of our rooms,” Bellatrix mocked. 

Delphi flushed. She had gotten a bit overenthusiastic at that point. Silly of her, she knew better. 

”You seem to know how to charm people just like your father,” Bellatrix continued while waving her wand to make the spilled tea disappear. ”I could only inspire fear and respect, never love. Especially not in people I disliked. Hiding my true feelings has always been hard for me. But you... you made the young Potter boy love you.”

Delphi laughed. ”Oh yeah. That little fool.” Mother and daughter laughed together. Delphi was warming up to her quicker than she thought. _Who am I kidding anyway? I have nothing to lose._ She no longer believed Bellatrix to be an impostor but even if it turned out that she had told Delphi only lies, it was not as if the girl had anyone to run to. And if Bellatrix could answer all of her questions about her father... Delphi suddenly felt guilty. All this time she had been so consumed with thoughts of her father that she hardly wondered anything about her mother. She had thought her mother was merely a servant which awoke Voldemort's lust. She knew that Bellatrix was infamous in her own right yet Delphi did not bother reading much about her. Yet now her mother was here offering her freedom. _And perhaps the world._

”Come now,” Bellatrix said. ”It's been a long day. I'll show you to the bedroom I have prepared for you. You'll be safe here. I have your wand right here.” She took it out from one of her inner pockets and gave it to Delphi. She trusts me now. 

”Where are we?” Delphi asked as her fingers brushed her wand. Her look out the window hadn't given her any useful clues as to the house's location. 

”Away from England and our enemies,” answered Bellatrix. ”We can talk more in the morning. We'll need to plan our next move. Saddly we cannot stay in one place for too long.” 

Delphi looked down. Bellatrix's plans seemed to include her yet she still wasn't sure about this woman. 

”Of course if you do not wish to follow me you can do whatever you like. I only wanted to get you out of that terrible place,” said Bellatrix softly. ”You talked about revenge. Well my best revenge against Potter and his friends is to keep you safe and happy. That would not please them for sure. You don't have to actually come for them, my love, they just have to wonder whether you might do so one day. You will inhabit their nightmares whenever they close their eyes, whenever their children don't reply to their owls in time. They'll wonder if you've finally struck your blow against them. One of my biggest sorrows when I was in hiding was that the Weasley woman needed to think I was dead. That I couldn't reveal myself to her and haunt her nightmares. That if she ever heard the floor creaking during the night she would not think it's me. It pained me that she believed herself to be victorious,” said Bellatrix wringing her hands, ”yet it was necessary.” 

Delphi knew she was right. Word of her escape might have already reached Potter and that awful Granger woman. But they would never find her. She had made her decision. ”I want to come with you wherever you go”, she told Bellatrix. 

Bellatrix smiled. ”Very well. Let's get you cleaned up and snuggled up in bed for now and we'll talk more in the morning.” She turned around and headed for the door. 

”Wait,” said Delphi. ”I want to sleep wherever you sleep. I mean I... don't want to be alone... if that's alright.” _Will she think me weak now?_

Bellatrix nodded. ”My bed is big enough for us both so that should be fine.” She opened the door and headed out into the hallway, indicating Delphi to follow. Delphi rushed after her.


	2. Bellatrix

It had not been difficult at all for Bellatrix to put together the pieces of what happened even if it had been a long time since she'd been in England. News of the capture of Voldemort's daughter reached her and she recognized Delphi immediately in the Daily Prophet picture. Potter's annoyingly smug face also accompanied the article, telling all about how the girl's plans had been thwarted and confirming her identity as the Dark Lord's offspring. Bellatrix was furious. At herself perhaps more than anything. How could she have believed that her daughter would ever settle for a normal life once she found out about her parentage? How could a girl of such tremendous power just get married and go about her duties at the ministry or whatever other meaningless job she would have found. Of course the girl had been foolish. Without guidance how could she have been anything else? _I failed as a mother even as dead,_ she thought to herself amused. Yet there was nothing funny about this situation. Her daughter was going to prison unless she stepped in and helped her. 

So Bellatrix Lestrange returned to London with a bag full of Polyjuice potion and different hairs from random Muggles. She would be unrecognizable. The plan was to find out all she could about the situation and then of course rescue her daughter. Being back in London after twenty years certainly brought back both happy and bitter memories. Wizards and witches were going about their daily business without caring and most likely even happy that the Dark Lord was gone. She stopped in front of a photo of the Minister in today's paper. Even before reading her name the girl's look was unmistakable. Hermione Granger. The mudblood who so long ago, in another lifetime maybe, writhed under her Cruciatus Curse. Her screams had been so loud that Bellatrix was afraid they would wake up her baby. _You've done well for yourself, girl. And now the wizarding world is ruled by a Mudblood._ She already knew that Potter was head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and that his wife, the girl she'd once tried to kill, wrote for the Daily Prophet. Quidditch bored Bellatrix senseless and had always done so, yet when she skimmed through and saw the name ”Ginny Potter” she understood that her would-be victim had become a sports correspondent. 

Not much was known of her own generation, though. What had become of the woman who almost put her in her grave? _You'll rot in yours long before I rot in mine, bitch._ Bellatrix certainly wasn't dying anytime soon, her master had seen to that. _I must not think of him._ She couldn't get teary eyed now. 

She rented a room at the Three Broomsticks. The room wasn't up to the standard she was used to but it was clean enough. After having spent fourteen years in Azkaban, Bellatrix felt the need to inhabit beautiful places, eat good food, drink good wine and always smell nice. 

She felt the Polyjuice Potion starting to wear off and soon the Muggle woman's face in the mirror was replaced by her own. She looked unchanged as the Horcrux made her incapable of aging. Her master had not mentioned such an effect. A lot was unknown about Horcruxes even to him and creating a Horcrux for someone else, as he did for her, was bound to have a different effect than creating one for yourself. Her Lord's face after his rebirth also did not betray his age so Bellatrix figured that Horcruxes have such an effect on their owners. After all, what is the point in living forever if one only becomes more and more decrepit and incapable?

Bellatrix had never been vain. She knew she was beautiful, of course. Boys at school looked at her longingly, and as she grew up so did men. Except the one who mattered most. Yet he too had succumbed eventually. Azkaban had hollowed her face but her beauty and vitality came back already after one year of freedom. Her body had quickly recovered itself as well. In Azkaban, her monthly bleeding had ceased after a few years. It looked like her body was shutting down, giving up. Yet after her escape, her body resumed its natural function. And Delphini came. _We'll be reunited soon._ But what will happen then? Will the girl accept her? Believe her? She knew from the newspapers that the girl had only been concerned with her father, there was no word there about her trying to see her mother. It mattered not however. _I may not be your favourite parent, girl, but I'm the only one you've got._

She washed her face. The plan was to take another Polyjuice Potion and then head out to the local pub to find out more about what happened. She would pick the pretty Muggle girl to impersonate as that one was likely to get at least the men talking. _Though I wish I could loosen their tongues with the Cruciatus Curse, not with a pretty face._ Since she started living in hiding, she needed to be careful about casting Unforgivable curses or committing crimes in general. She couldn't do anything which drew attention to herself yet not kiling and torturing was a challenge, as it had once been her lifestyle. 

After wiping her face she stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes flashed red just for one second before turning dark blue again. They did that nowadays, a sign of the Hocrux keeping her alive. 

A glass of Polyjuice Potion later and she was ready to go. The men at the pub were indeed chatty to the lovely stranger who hadn't been to England in a while. They told her all about the rumour that Lord Voldemort (they said his name now and she had to try hard not to flinch) had fathered a child. She found out that everyone initially believed that child to be her nephew Draco's son Scorpius. Lucius Malfoy, who was in possession of a powerful Time Turner, had been suspected of sending his daughter-in-law back in time to become pregnant with the Dark Lord. Bellatrix couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous tale. _If that bitch had indeed lain with the Dark Lord she wouldn't have lived long enough to go back to her own time. I would have seen to that._

One man particularly seemed very eager to talk to her. He was a self-styled historian with something of a fascination for her lord. In his fifties, he had lived through both wars and the interest for the Dark Lord and his regime had only grown stronger over the years. He apparently got a real kick out of the whole Delphini situation and had followed the media coverage on her dilligently. 

”Of course, you have to understand, ” he said pompously leaning in closer. ”I believe the poor girl to be deluded. Voldemort had never had a mate.” 

_You're looking at his mate, fool._ Her mouth gave him a lovely smile but her eyes were daggers. 

But despite the man's insulting theories, most people believed Delphini was indeed the Dark Lord's only child and that she had been his mate. It angered her that people did not believe so from the beginning and even entertained the possibility that the Astoria woman could have been with him. While the Dark Lord had certainly been no novice in bed, during her time of serving him at least, no other woman captured his attention. She could never forget his long, white fingers unbuttoning her robes... _I must not think about this now. There is only sorrow left._

Back in her room she thought about everything she'd heard at the pub. The night had been a productive one indeed. That bit about Lucius Malfoy's powerful Time Turner intrigued her. Did Lucius ever consider doing the same as Delphini and bringing the Dark Lord back? Bellatrix laughed out loud at her own thought. Lucius had been too cowardly to serve Voldemort properly even when the Dark lord was alive. He didn't try to find him when he'd been exiled so why would he bring him back from the dead? Lucius would certainly have a lot of explaining to do if the Dark Lord returned. After the battle, Bellatrix found out that her sister had lied to the Dark Lord about Potter being dead. The Dark Lord was therefore caught unawares when the boy revived and finished him off. Bellatrix always got angry thinking about it. What her sister did was nothing short of treason. _After everything I've done for you Cissy?_ Narcissa had betrayed everyone, her sister included. All for Draco. Well, she'd got her wish. Draco Malfoy had grown up into quite a handsome young man with his own family. Bellatrix had seen his picture in the paper. Yet it upset her greatly to find out about the contempt he had shown Delphini. It showed that Narcissa had no lost love for her sister and that she had managed to make Draco hate her as well even if the boy once admired her. She knew that Narcissa made the arrangements to have Delphini living with the Rowles. After this, her sister stopped caring entirely about the girl never paying her any visits or making her feel as though she had a family. The thought made her tempted to Apparate into Narcissa's no doubt pompous bedroom and slap her. Her sister's callousness was hard to endure. 

It hardly matters now, she thought while brushing her hair. Her own hair now, not the Muggle's as the potion had expired. She didn't really miss her sister. She missed her friend Dolohov more, honestly, and also Rodolphus. She knew he had been the one to tell Delphini the truth about her parentage. The girl must have tracked him down and made him answer all her questions. Rodolphus was probably far away from London now. She doubted he had any idea what became of his step daughter. Or that he cares. It was perhaps unfair to expect anything of him. He'd done more than most men would have done in a similar situation. Her infidelity hurt him to the bone even though he'd also had plenty of affairs. ”Yes, but I was never in love with any of them, nor did I have children with them nor did I put you in a position where you have to bloody obey them all the time!” he'd snapped when she'd pointed out that he had hardly been faithful to her. Taking orders from the Dark Lord after finding out what had happened while he was in prison must have bruised his male ego quite a bit. Bellatrix had always told him she didn't want children. And it was true. Delphini just happened and once it did she could not bring herself to get rid of her. _And now look what trouble she's getting herself into._

She blew out the last candle illuminating the room and lay down in the narrow bed. She liked to sleep alone. It wasn't as if she had never spent the night with a man since the war ended. She had. Twenty years was a long time. Yet those men were worthless. She could never tell them who she really was. Even if they were dark wizards themselves, her true identity would have scared them. The news of the Dark Lord's maleficence and desire for conquest had reached foreign countries and these wizards were glad he had been stopped. His methods scared them. _Fools._

She turned around on her side yet sleep would not come. Suddenly she couldn't stop her memories from taking over her consciousness. It was all in flashes. A touch, a scent, a word. The beginning.

 

_October 1996_

The Dark Lord was standing with his back turned to her. ”I know all about you and your sister's Unbreakable Vow, Bellatrix,” he said in his cold voice. ”Most unwise of you.” She closed her eyes, sighing. Snape had ratted them out, Bellatrix thought angrily. 

”My Lord, we meant no harm. Narcissa wanted only to make sure your wish would be carried out,” she said trying to appear confident yet her shaky voice betrayed her fear. 

”Your sister cares nothing for my plans. She wishes her son to be safe. She was happier when I was gone,” the Dark Lord stated matter-of-factly. 

”No of course not, my Lord! We're all very happy you are back, do not doubt this,” she said in what she believed to be a convincing manner. 

” _You_ should not doubt _this_ , Bellatrix,” he said in a dangerous voice, turning around to face her. ”I do not care what you sister thinks of me. I do not care about her son. If the Malfoys serve me well they will be rewarded. If they fail me they will pay. Such are the rules for all of my Death Eaters. If your sister atempts to engage you in any further disobedience of my orders I strongly advise you to refuse her.” _Narcissa didn't even want me there._

”Yes, my Lord of course,” she said quickly. Her heart was beating fast yet she wanted to appear strong. Any weakness and he might think she had something to feel guilty about. She hadn't. She would never do anything to cause him harm and thwart his plans. He stood there without saying anything for a few moments, just considering her. 

”As it happens, your little escapade to Severus's house didn't do any damage,” he said, and she could almost feel herself breathing out in relief. But she was not out of the woods yet. ”However, it does... upset me. It also occurs to me that I never punished you for your mistakes at the Department of Mysteries.” 

She burst out fearfully, ”No my Lord, please! I was the only one of your Death Eaters who returned to you. I was the only one who did any damage and took out an Order member. Who also happened to be Harry Potter's godfather, my lord. You know I caused the boy suffering.” She was speaking so fast she doubted he even understood her. 

”Yes, indeed,” he said lazily, seeming unimpressed by her arguments. ”Nevertheless, your fellows are in Azkaban and that is punishment enough for them right now. You... I rescued you yet you are proving a nuisance to me. All this cahooting with your sister behind my back. I do not approve, Bellatrix,” he said and his nostrils flared. 

”B-but I will make it up to you, my Lord. Punishment is not necesary, I know I have failed you,” she said. Her eyes were darting towards the open door. She hoped he would not notice. 

Voldemort laughed. ”I do not always punish followers in order to make them understand my displeasure, Bellatrix. Sometimes it merely amuses me. Your actions are upsetting yet your pain will prove most comforting.” 

Before she could control herself, she ran towards the door. She almost reached it when it closed in her face and she heard the locks snap shut. What should I do? Her wand was in her pocket, she had her fingers on it. _No you fool!_ she thought. _You stand no chance against him and it will only make him angrier._ She knew she could endure pain. It was not as if she had never been subjected to the Cruciatus curse before. Not only by him but also by her enemies. But that had been before Azkaban and the memory of the pain relived while in prison made her want to avoid he curse forever.  
She could try begging again though that hardly ever worked with the Dark Lord. 

Before she could think of anything, he was behind her grabbing the back of her neck and slamming her into the door. Then he turned her around to face him. She was breathing heavily, her adrenalin pumping. She just wanted him to start with the curse and get it over with. Yet he didn't move. His wand was in his hand and his arm hung lazily at his side. He grabbed her throat with his free hand while looking her straight in the eyes. He was only slightly taller than her. She started to struggle against his grip without knowing exactly why as he was holding her firmly but not cutting off her air supply. He removed his hand and let it slide down her chest, between her breasts, down to her belly. Before she knew it, he was fumbling at her clothes. 

”My Lord?” she asked hesitantly. He paid her no mind. She was wearing a long skirt so he reached under it and tugged at her underwear until it fell down to her ankles. She felt like she could not move, so amazed was she at what was happening. She was afraid that if she'd do so much as blink, he would stop. Yet he didn't stop. He was breathing heavily as he presumably unbuttoned his trousers, though she couldn't see anything for his long dark robe. She wrapped her legs around him, his strength enough to hold her without looking as though he was making any effort. She closed her eyes.

 

The memory still filled her with delight. That was not when Delphini was conceived however. He had pulled out after just three thrusts without finishing. She remembered having been disappointed but there wasn't much she could do about it. He had turned away from her immediately and bellowed at her to get out. For weeks afterwards, he wouldn't face her. She was not granted meetings with him even when she had useful information they needed to discuss. Bellatrix started to fear that his being so ashamed of what he had done would turn into resentment towards her. She was elated when he finally summoned her to him weeks after the event. She found him in an old house. It looked very Muggle-like in its appareance. (She had later found out it was his father's house). He was in a dark room upstairs and he told her clearly what he wanted—her. He also informed her that she could refuse, that it was not one of her duties as a Death Eater to keep her master pleased in that particular way, and that she will suffer no consequences for not being compliant in this respect. She listened to everything with a happiness that made her giddy. Then he stopped talking and from that night on their bond evolved into more than a master-servant one. 

_And one of those nights that followed brought me Delphini. I must do what I can to help her._ It would be easy enough to get access to one of the Aurors guarding the prisoners in Azkaban. They took turns doing it and it wasn't impossible to find out which Aurors were on guard duty when. It didn't much matter when the escape happened as long as it was relatively soon. Her daughter was not in any danger in Azkaban but Bellatrix might risk being exposed if she dithered too long in this town now ruled by her enemies. The Polyjuice Potion supplies will not last forever and even if she never left her room, there was still a risk that someone, the cleaning lady perhaps, might barge in and see her. It did not help that she hadn't aged and her new, shorter hairstyle would not fool anybody. 

_I will find an Auror and make them deliver her to me._ The person would have to be someone with a big family. The more children or relatives one had the harder it would be to protect them all. Then she would have to make sure that her victim did not think she was operating alone. Allowing them to think so could mean that they would tell their fellow Aurors and attempt to set a trap for her instead of following her instructions. She was ready for action. The plan involved threats and perhaps even torture and murder. It thrilled her. It had been too long...


	3. Delphi

She woke up with a start and for no apparent reason. It seemed like she had slept a long time yet the clock on the night table informed her that she had only been asleep for around thirty minutes. She heard the rain pouring outside. Trees nearby shook in the wind, their branches knocking on the windows. The sound would have usually started her as it could be mistaken for someone trying to break in. Yet now she felt almost safe in this dimly lit room. Her wand was under her pillow. She never slept with it too far away from her ever since she was little. That Euphemia woman had liked to scare her with tales of enemies who would come for her one day. _They sure did, but so did my mother._

She rolled over onto her back and saw her mother's sillhouette under the thick blanket. She seemed fast asleep, her black hair covering her pillow almost entirely. Delphi had shed her Azkaban robes and was now wearing a blue tunic given to her by Bellatrix. Her mother burned her prison clothing under her eyes and she laughed cheerfullly. She had also taken a quick bath. When Bellatrix saw her Augurey tattoo she seemed amused. Delphi tried to explain the symbolism yet it seemed to be lost on her mother, whose eyebrows were travelling higher and higher up on her forehead as her daughter elaborated her ideas. _I suppose it's not as impressive as a skull and a snake._

Bellatrix then brushed her long hair. No one had ever brushed her hair before. She twirled one of the strands between her fingers, its blue tip rolling back and forth. She had dyed her hair to match her favorite bird. _Will the Augurey soar again?_ she wondered. She smiled to herself as she couldn't see why not. Within only a few hours, her life had greatly improved. She could never have imagined that being taken to Azkaban would prove to be the best thing that ever happened to her. _I'd like to see Granger and Potter's faces when they find out I escaped. ”Like your mother,” isn't that what you said, Minister?_ Yet she had to admit that her mother was right. Vengeance would never be theirs as her mother's identity would have to be protected. Delphi knew that it was for the best if the Aurors didn't know who was helping her. And they will certainly figure out she had help. Potter might want to handle the case himself. She was his nemesis's daughter, after all. _You'll never find me._

She was tired and warm and in a comfortable bed yet she could not sleep. There were so many burning questions she had, they were coming to her all the time. Every piece of information Bellatrix gave her just piqued her curiosity further. It was not just about her father it was mostly... well, everything really. The woman sleeping next to her had all the answers yet did she dare wake her? She still didn't know exactly where she had Bellatrix. Her mother had seemed kind and affectionate enough except for her fits of anger, but was this just for show until she revealed her true colours? The little she had read about Bellatrix did not give her the impression that she would have been a doting mother. Was everything that was happening simply too good to be true? Perhaps Bellatrix will use her in some way and then discard her. Not turn her in surely but kill her maybe, if she caused any trouble. Delphi had her wand. Was she more powerful than her mother? She certainly did not match her father. She had read about him duelling three experienced fighters at the Battle of Hogwarts yet she couldn't hold her own for very long against Potter and his pals. _My father would have made you into stew._

Her best option was to trust Bellatrix but also keep her eyes open. It was not yet time to remove her wand from beneath her pillow. 

Bellatrix shifted in her sleep. Her eyes flickered open. The light, weak as it was, had probably disturbed her. Delphi sat up in bed. Bellatrix looked at her and did the same. 

”What is it? Can't you sleep?” she asked. 

Delphi shook her head. ”Too many thoughts, too many questions.” 

Bellatrix sighed. ”Maybe your questions can wait till the morning.” 

”Why do the Malfoys hate me?” Delphi asked ignoring her mother's thinly veiled request. She remembered Malfoy's disgust at her and felt that there was more behind it than her simply abandoning his son in another timeline. _I could have killed your brat but didn't._

”They don't hate you, they don't even know you, ” Bellatrix answered sleepily. But this did not seem to satisfy her daughter. 

”They are my family yet they never cared for me when I was little. I don't remember any of them visiting me. That woman Rowle did say once that 'Madam Malfoy' had sent her some more gold for my care. But I've never even seen their faces.” How could Rodolphus, the cheated husband, treat her with less resentment than her mother's sister? 

”It's tough having sisters. You would not know, being an only child. Narcissa and I did not have a carefree relationship,” said Bellatrix, her tone betraying a note of sadness. ”It only got worse as her husband became a rather failed servant of my Lord's. Narcissa blamed me for everything that had befallen her family, all their dishonour. Lucius could do no wrong in her eyes. Her son Draco was soon caught in the middle and my sister did not think I'd done enough to help prevent that situation. She blamed me for her son's weakness.” Bellatrix looked at Delphi rather proudly. ”If the boy had half your skill and malice, the Dark Lord would have honoured him as he did all his faithful servants.” Delphi remembered what the Scorpius boy had told her. _I was my father's Augurey, his messenger of death._

Bellatrix resumed her story. ”When I became pregnant, I told everyone that you were Rod's child. This was an agreement between myself, Rodolphus and the Dark Lord. He did not want the world to know he'd fathered a child or else the Order might have tried to kidnap you and use you against him. So that's what I told the Malfoys. My sister was thrilled. She thought that my having a child would bring us closer, that I would better understand her situation and her woes. When you came, she doted on you. That was until she started suspecting that things were not what they seemed.”

”Why would she suspect anything? Did I have my father's serpent-like features?” Delphi joked. But Bellatrix didn't laugh. 

”You were only a few month old baby of course yet already you were showing signs of magic. Powerful magic, in fact. Narcissa confronted me with this yet I simply told her there was no explanation. Some children are more powerful than their parents, that is not strange at all. But still her suspicions would not be satisfied. Rodolphus and his behavior didn't exactly help either. Instead of the happiness a man in his position should have shown, he was mostly bitter and could hardly look at you or me. Perfectly understandable given the circumstances of course. But my sister was no fool and soon she began to suspect you were not his.” Bellatrix pursed her lips, staring at the wall in front of her. ”I never confirmed any of her suspicions of course but she was convinced anyway and the last days before the battle were not happy ones. After my, well, _death_ let's call it, she took her anger out on you.” 

When Delphi said nothing for a few moments, Bellatrix touched her face, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. ”You shouldn't concern yourself with this old family history, my love. It has nothing to do with you. The Malfoys turned against me and your father long before you were born even if they could not do anything about it until the final battle.” Bellatrix drew the blankets around herself and slid back down into the bed. Her wand extinguished the light, leaving a pensieve Delphi in the darkness. She supposed there was nothing more to be done or discussed tonight so she laid herself down again, wrapped the blankets around her and drifted off to sleep.


	4. Minister Granger

Hermione Granger sat in her office trying to read a draft for a new law involving cauldron regulations. Her eyes were going over the same lines over and over again yet she could not understand a word as her mind was somewhere else. _This is rubbish. We have bigger problems than cauldrons._ She threw the parchments aside and stretched her back. The news of the girl's escape had reached her first thing in the morning. Even before she got to work, two owls had barged into her and Ron's bedroom delivering two scrolls telling her the same thing. Delphini Diggory (or Black or Riddle or whatever your name is) had escaped from Azkaban. Hermione had hurried off to work saying a quick ”I'll explain later!” to her sleep deprived husband who immediately turned and went back to sleep snoring loudly. He was already used to Hermione being a workaholic who carefully considered every single tiny issue and had a dedication to her job which would put his older brother Percy to shame. _He probably thought this was just another case of me making a fuss out of nothing._ By now Ron had probably read the newspapers himself and realized the gravity of the situation.

The Minister had quickly rounded up all the Aurors in charge of guarding the prison last night and interrogated them. One was missing, MacPherson, and it did not take Hermione's brilliant mind to figure out that he had been involved in the escape. His body had been found later at the Shrieking Shack. The other Aurors testified that he had Stunned each of them, taking them by surprise. After that, he must have smuggled the girl out. 

Hermione sighed and rubbed her eyes. It was not that she disapproved of former Minister Kingsley's decision to replace Dementors with human guards. _Dumbledore would have done the same thing._ She agreed that Dementors made Azkaban an inhumane place and even murderous witches and wizards deserved better than to slowly go mad with torment. However, human guards were fallible. The Dementors could be manipulated, true, but only by a powerful wizard such as Voldemort which certainly did not come more than perhaps once in a hundred years. But this man MacPherson... _How did she get to you?_ Had Delphi tricked him in some way, manipulated him, blackmailed him,... seduced him perhaps? There had been previous cases of Aurors taking advantages of female prisoners and Delphi was certainly good looking enough to inspire lust. But at least the previous Aurors (who had all ended up in Azkaban themselves for their crimes, Hermione saw to that) had been smart and careful enough to not let the prisoners overpower them. The theory most common among the other Aurors was that MacPherson had taken Delphi out of Azkaban for a good shag and the girl somehow managed to overpower him. But when his wand was found still on his person, Hermione ordered a search for Delphi's wand in the storage where they kept the prisoners' belongings. They had found her clothes there but no wand. The only working hypothesis now was that the man had stole her wand from the storage intending to give it back to her after he'd freed her. Obviously they had been cooperating but why? 

The door to her office opened suddenly and Harry Potter stepped in, taking a seat in front of her without invitation. Hermione did not mind, not in general and certainly not now when she needed a friend to discuss this with. 

”I have nothing,” Harry said fiddling with one of her quills. ”She could be in Africa by now.” He looked exhausted and the work day would not be over for a few more hours. Perhaps even longer if they followed a lead. 

”You have to take it easy, Harry. We'll find her,” she said knowing that such platitudes were not likely to comfort him in any way. 

”Do we know anything more about this MacPherson fellow?”

Hermione sighed and got up and began pace the room. She stopped by the window with her hands behind her back. ”I had to deliver the news to his family today. They were heartbroken of course. They told me he was an upstanding man and a dedicated Auror who would have never helped the girl willingly. I believe them, Harry. That was my impression of him as well. He was threatened into helping her, I'm sure of it.”

”That means she must have had an accomplice on the outside,” said Harry loudly. ”How could she have threatened him with anything if she was locked up?”

Hermione agreed. ”An accomplice seems likely.” 

Harry stopped toying with the quill and put his hands on her desk with a serious look in his eyes. ”Hermione, we have to find that Lestrange guy. Delphi mentioned him to me when she thought I was Voldemort. Rodolphus Lestrange was one of Voldemort's most loyal Death Eaters and I'm damn sure he wouldn't let his master's daughter rot in prison. If you don't want me to talk to him personally because you feel I'd be too emotional or something then at least let me send some other Aurors.” 

_Way ahead of you. As usual._ ”Harry, you know that we increased the surveillance on Rodolphus Lestrange when Delphi got arrested. The Aurors tracked him down this morning but nothing appeared to be out of order. Rodolphus would not risk his dearly bought freedom just to save Delphi. He has been very open with us about his whereabouts at all times. I really don't think he was involved,” said Hermione sitting down and matching Harry's grave look. 

Harry seemed to be considering this information for a moment. ”Well, it doesn't have to be him personally,” he said. ”He had a brother, remember?” 

Hermione reminded him that Rabastan Lestrange had been slain in the Battle of Hogwarts. She could feel Harry losing his patience. 

”Well then some other one of his Death Eaters cronies!” he snapped. ”I warned you it was a mistake to put Delphi's parentage in the Daily Prophet. You don't think Death Eaters can read, Hermione? When they saw she was their beloved Lord's daughter of course one of them stepped up to the plate and rescued her. Maybe they're even hoping to replace Voldemort with her for all we know.”

”She's certainly no Voldemort despite her powers,” said Hermione in a confident tone. Of this at least she was sure. ”We're doing all the investigations we can possibly think of, Harry. Old Death Eaters who are still alive will all be checked and asked questions. But they barely escaped death or imprisonment after the war so I don't think they would risk anything just to save their master's loony daughter. Remember that many of them did not even look for Voldemort himself when he went missing. Even if some old Death Eater is helping her, it is just nostalgia. There can be no question of a dark regime coming back.” _I sound like Fudge now._

Harry said nothing, looking down at the desk. _He thinks I'm being too casual about all this._

”Harry, I assure you everyone is doing all they can to find the girl and her accomplices. In the meantime take the rest of the day off, go home and try to live as normal as possible. I know it's hard while she's still out there but living in fear is exactly what she would want you to do.” He was silent and did not look at her. 

Hermione resumed her attempts to comfort him. ”Harry you've seen this girl. Even if she comes after any of us, we can handle her. She's a misguided orphan— ” _I should not have used that word._

Harry's eyes widened, his face white with fury. ”So now we should feel sorry for her? Is that it?”

”N-no of course not!” his outbursts always startled her. 

He pointed his finger at her. ”It's easy for you to be so calm and composed about this, Hermione! It wasn't your children she kidnapped.”

Hermione gasped. ”Harry!” she exclaimed, her eyes now as angry as his own and incredulous. _You've always had a temper but this is going too far._

Harry rallied at once. ”I'm sorry Hermione, I'm sorry. I know how much you care. It's just that this whole experience has brought back memories and feelings I'd hoped I buried a long time ago.”

Hermione nodded. ”I understand, of course. How is Albus doing?”

Harry smiled. ”Well he no longer cringes when he sees me, at least. The only good thing about this experience has been that it strengthened the bond between us. Not much else would have probably accomplished that.”

”Remember the troll”, said Hermione cheerfully. ”Without him we'd never have been friends.”

”Yeah, and thanks to Albus we saw how that turned out for you, _Professor Granger_ ,” he teased. 

”Oh haha. And for your information it was Ron I was missing in that case not you,” she replied, suddenly in a much better mood than she'd been in for days. 

”Speaking of your ginger husband, I'm having a drink with him tonight if that's okay with you,” Harry informed her while he got up to leave. ”He seems a bit off to me lately, maybe I'll finally find out what's been bothering him.”

”Oh, it's that thing with his mother,” Hermione said with a dismissive hand gesture. 

”Is Molly feeling unwell?” asked Harry worried. 

”Oh no, not at all,” said Hermione. ”It just that...” She wondered if it was wise to start the discussion again since they'd just closed the painful subject. ”It's this thing with Delphi,” she said finally. 

Harry rolled his eyes, clearly weary. ”Why do I keep hearing that name in connection to the problems in our families?” 

”Well, it's not about her escape as Molly obviously could not have known about that until this very morning.” Though her escape is not likely to help matters, thought Hermione. ”It's more the simple fact of her existence, if you know what I mean.” 

”Oh, I know what you mean. If she didn't exist, I wouldn't have a problem either,” said Harry sarcastically. 

_He really is going to make me spell it out for him._ She took a deep breath. ”Mrs Weasleys feels guilty about what she did at the Battle of Hogwarts,” said Hermione. ”You see, she didn't know and couldn't have known that Bellatrix was at the time the mother of an infant daughter. And when the news came about Delphi they also mentioned her mother, not just her father and— ”

”So what?!” interrupted Harry, his bad temper returning. ”Molly did the right thing. That woman was going to kill Ginny. Are we supposed to ask our enemies whether or not they have families while they're attacking our own family?” 

”Of course not, Harry. That's what Ron's been telling her as well and rationally of course she knows that. But feelings of guilt over killing someone, even an enemy, is what separates us from them,” said Hermione wisely, hoping it will calm him down. 

”Yes of course, you're right,” he said, appearing ashamed over his outburst. 

”She'll come around. You know how she is about children and families,” said Hermione. ”Another reason to end this Delphi business as soon as possible.” 

”You don't think it's possible that Delphi might try to attack Molly, do you?” asked Harry as though the idea had suddenly come to him. ”She might not come back for us because she knows we can capture her again but Ron's parents might be in danger.” 

Hermione felt like she could put his mind at ease about this one at least. ”I don't think so. She had plenty of time to attack Molly when everyone thought she was Diggory's niece and no one would have suspected her. She's not likely to want to draw attention to herself now. And she seemed more interested in her father than her mother anyway.” 

”I suppose you're right as usual.” Harry was at the door preparing to leave when he turned around to speak to her again. ”I really hope Albus doesn't have trust issues after this incident. I'd hate for him to suspect any new friend of being an enemy.”

_Fair concern._ ”Maybe it's a good thing for him to be suspicious of pretty girls with one-of-a-kind time turners, though”, said Hermione with a smile, hoping to ease his concerns. 

Harry returned her smile. ”Certainly. And I sure do not want any romantic drama in his life anytime soon so him being suspicious might not be such a bad thing after all. I just hope he doesn't lose his adventure lust.” 

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing. ”He's the son of you and Ginny. I wouldn't worry about him losing his adventure lust anytime soon.” Harry laughed and let himself out. 

_Back to work._ But an hour later, her mind was still on the conversation. She had assured Harry the girl was not dangerous. Delphi's reaction to being arrested had been almost pitiful, certainly not something either her mother or her father would have done. _Does that mean you've learned your lesson? Or were you just sorry you got caught?_


	5. Draco Malfoy

News of Delphi's escape reached Draco as he was enjoying his breakfast. The story was all over the front page. The girl had vanished after one of the Azkaban guards let her out of her cell. The latest update was that they had found the man dead in the Shrieking Shack. _The Shrieking Shack? Odd choice._ If it was true that the girl had never attended Hogwarts then it wasn't likely that she would know much about that old house. Perhaps it had been the man's choice. Draco sipped his tea. _Potter and Granger certainly have their work cut out for them._ If Draco knew them at all, they were already pulling all the stops trying to find the girl. He was sure that Hermione Granger suspected someone other than the Auror was helping the girl. They would have to start looking for an accomplice. _I just hope they don't suspect me._

The thought of him helping Delphi was ridiculous and surely even his old school rivals would realize that. He wanted nothing to do with the girl and had no interest in breaking her out of prison. _It's where she belongs,_ he thought. Azkaban was no longer what it had been when his father and aunt had been imprisoned there. That was all very well. He didn't think Delphi deserved Dementors tormenting her. _Poor girl is already a nutcase though with parents like hers what can we expect?_ Thinking of Delphi's parentage reminded him of the upside with the whole story: Scorpius was no longer suspected of being Voldemort's son. Maybe now his boy could enjoy a normal life without being tormented by vicious rumors. _Even if his life does involve being that Potter boy's best friend._

His son was at the Potters' house now probably in a heated discussion about the recent news with Albus. Draco hoped the boys did not worry for their safety. He certainly was not too worried. The girl was not likely to risk incarceration again by coming back and attacking any of them. _Still, crazy people are bound to be unpredictable._ But the boys will be at Hogwarts soon where they will certainly be safe. 

Draco threw the newspaper aside and ate what was left of his eggs. He was going to enjoy his day off and not spend time thinking about his much escapee cousin. _Cousin._ He had not thought about her as that until now but he supposed it was correct. He had not seen the girl since she was a baby and certainly felt no attachment to her. They did share blood ties however and at no time had that been more obvious then when he visited his parents one day after the girl's capture. 

His father's blond hair had turned white but he insisted on keeping it long and in a ponytail despite his mother's insistence that it ought to be cut. It probably reminded him of his glory days. Her mother's hair was shorter now. She still had the classic Black haughty expression in her eyes but the worry and fear following the time right after the war had taken their toll on her. She was thinner than she'd ever been even after all this time and no longer seemed to consider herself nobility. The Malfoys were more like beggars now, not financially of course, but in the eyes of other witches and wizards who had, Draco thought sarcastically _done the right thing_ during the war. His family seemed to be in a constant state of begging for forgiveness and whenever the Ministers changed they feared for their freedom. Would the new Minister undo the clemency of the former? When that Granger woman was elected, his mother nearly had a heart attack. Hermione Granger, being Muggleborn, was likely to want to punish them for their involvement in the war. _And let's not forget that she had been tortured in our house._ Yet the Minister had done no such thing. _A forgiving woman, that one, though I suppose she must be if she's married to Weasley._ Draco chuckled. 

The rumours about Scorpius also did not help his parents feel welcome in their community but at least that was over now. When Delphi was arrested his father feared that he would somehow be blamed because of his possession of a time turner. Luckily, his parents were not involved in the investigation. _And they would not be now either._ Potter had to know that his father would never plot to bring the Dark Lord back or help his master's daughter escape. His father had become fearful of the Dark Lord already long before the latter's demise. Draco knew his parents felt relieved when Potter finally slew the Dark Lord once and for all.  
Maybe he ought to pay them a visist today and put their minds at ease about Delphi's escape. But as he was changing into his outdoor robes he started to feel reluctant about seeing his parents today. They will certainly be under a great deal of stress taking in the news of the breakout. _Perhaps they feel like history is repeating itself._ Maybe his parents would rather not talk about the news at all today and his presence there will make them feel as if they must. 

When his cousin got captured, Draco showed up at their house telling them all about it and with plenty of questions about Delphini's background. What he met with was a wall of silence. His father said it's just sad old family history and there's nothing to discuss. His mother had a sad look on her face and avoided his eyes. Narcissa did not react well whenever her sister was brought up. She usually had a look on her face as though she'd eaten something sour. Draco understood that while his mother did not regret betraying the Dark Lord, she had not wanted her sister to be killed that night. It was not as if she was mourning Bellatrix, but this Delphi affair brought up some painful memories. Draco found out that his mother had made the arrangements for Delphi to live at the Rowles after her mother died and her stepfather was arrested. In the beginning, Draco sometimes asked about his little cousin and whether he could go see her. Both Narcissa and Lucius said a determined no to his questions. ”We need to worry about our reputation, my boy,” his father said ”we cannot be seen to in any way associate with former Death Eaters. The Rowles are also trying to stay as far away from London as possible right now.” His mother said nothing, only nodded. 

Years after the war, the Rowles returned to London having made a deal with the Minister for their freedom. They told everyone Delphini was their biological daughter. Draco thought his parents would reach out to the Rowles as both their family names were now cleared. But they did not. _And now you feel guilty about it, mother._ He had to admit that he also forgot about Delphi in time. For all he knew, he was Bellatrix's daughter with her husband so when the rumours of Lord Voldemort having had a child had begun to surface he did not consider at all that the child could be Delphini.  
 _Uncharacteristically silly of me._ Some memories had come back to him lately that he had not given a single thought to in years. Looking at everything in hindsight, it all made sense of course. Even at the time when he was just a young man, Draco thought the circumstances around Delphini were odd. 

First, there was the matter of Rodolphus. Draco knew that he and his wife had separated. When Bellatrix moved to the Malfoy Manor shortly after her husband's and his father's release, Rodolphus had not come with her. Bellatrix explained that despite their child together she and Rodolphus would not be getting back together. Draco remembered her calling the marriage a ”sham”. Even so, one would expect a father to be more cheerful about his newborn daughter. Yet Rodolphus, to Draco's recollection, never asked to hold Delphi and hardly took an interest of her. Sometimes Draco thought he saw a look of sorrow on the man's face when other people were gushing over baby Delphi. But Draco had problems of his own and neither the time nor the interest to find out what was bothering his uncle. He thought Rodolphus's disappointment could have something to do with Delphi being a girl. He knew that some pureblood men desired sons in order to ensure their legacy. Rodolphus's brother was childless as well so the Lestrange name was indeed in danger. 

Then, there was the issue of the Dark Lord. Draco stopped in the hallway and looked in the mirror. He was putting on his coat, ready to go out for a stroll. Memories of the Dark Lord still made him shudder. Had that dangerous wizard not perished, his father certainly would have. And who knows what fate Draco and his mother would have had? The events of the last few days and the remote possibility that the Dark Lord could have been brought back gave Draco nightmares. Thankfully they had managed to thwart the girl's plans. He had been happy and relieved when she was finally behind bars in Azkaban. That was no longer the case, however. But Draco was sure that wherever the girl was and whatever she was doing she could not bring her father back. He could hardly blame her for wanting to meet the man, though. Draco had spent all his childhood and teenage years worshipping his father. It was only after the war was over that he started to see his father's weaknesses. All his family's glory was gone. His and his father's master dead, his aunt dead, his mother never the same again, his family name a shameful one. _How the mighty have fallen..._

_But yes, the Dark Lord,_ he thought as he stepped outside and locked his door. He remembered a rather curious encounter which made sense in hindsight but which he had considered slightly odd at the time. 

 

_Late January, 1998_

Two days after Delphi's birth, Draco's parents had gone to have supper with some friends, mercifully not insisting on taking him with them. His mother always worried about leaving him alone but his father assured her he wouldn't be alone at all. 

”Bella's in her room,” Lucius said. This did not seem to comfort Narcissa, however. Bellatrix was busy with Delphi and she also had to rest. Narcissa had kept Draco home longer than the Christmas holidays usually lasted as Hogwarts was no longer a proper school anyway. She and his father wanted him to be safe even though they both knew that if the Dark Lord decided to harm Draco in any way there was nothing they could do. 

”I'll be fine, mother,” Draco said. She nodded, kissed his cheek and they were off. Draco went upstairs to his room. He couldn't hear any sounds coming from Bellatrix's room which was relatively close to his so he assumed both her and Delphi were asleep. The baby did not cry a lot but she did make her presence heard occasionally. 

He sat on his bed with a book. After only a few minutes he heard a sound coming from downstairs and he went to check. He did not see anything unusual coming out of his room but as he entered his living room he saw that there was a man there. Tall, thin, dressed entirely in black robes which contrasted starkly with his pale skin, the Dark Lord was standing in the Malfoys livingroom. There were raindrops on his robes which meant he had just flown in. 

”Good evening, Draco,” he said in a friendly tone which did not seem to come natural to him. _At least he doesn't seem angry. But one can never know what games he's playing._

”My Lord,” said Draco bowing in front of him. He did not understand what his master was doing here now. Draco knew he had been away during the past few months on one of his journeys doing Merlin-knows-what. 

”My parents are not here, my Lord,” he said, hoping that the man had not come to see him. There could be no job for him from the Dark Lord which he would enjoy or do well. 

”Oh, I know that,” he said softly in his high voice.”I'm here to see Bellatrix.” He smiled. 

”She... she just gave birth,” Draco said stupidly. ”A day before yesterday.” _I need to stop talking and get out of his way._

Voldemort chuckled. Even his mirth seemed malicious. ”I know that, young man. That is why I want to see her.” 

Draco felt panic rising in his chest. The Dark Lord had come to kill his cousin Delphi. No! Draco would not allow it. _She is just a tiny baby. This is much too cruel!_ But what could a teenage boy do to stop him? 

”I...”, Draco said, not sure where he was going with this. The Dark Lord raised his eyebrows at him or would have done so if he'd had any but before Draco could say anything else he saw his master looking up at something behind Draco. 

”My Lord, you're here!” said Bellatrix's excited voice as though she was expecting him. Draco turned around and saw his aunt coming down the stairs wrapped in a long green cardigan and looking tired but smiling. Her hair was hanging loosely around her body, unlike the tight knot she often wore, reaching almost down to her elbows. 

She put a hand on his shoulder. ”It's alright, Draco,” she whispered. Her master then followed her upstairs. Draco heard the door to her room slam shut. _Odd._ He could not control his curiosity so he went upstairs but instead of going to his own room he stopped outside Bellatrix's door. He heard their voices but could not make out what they were saying. There didn't seem to be any problems. He heard his aunt laugh several times and even the Dark Lord's cold laughter could be heard. _They're not hurting the baby,_ he thought. If they were, Delphi would surely cry. 

Bellatrix was doing most of the talking but he couldn't understand what she was saying. _There's got to be some spell which will allow me to hear._ But none came to mind. He was not sure why he was so curious. Whatever they were talking about did not concern him or his parents, that much he was sure of. Suddenly, they stopped talking. Draco began to move quickly toward his room before either of them would find out he had been eavesdropping at the door. But no one came out of the room. Carefully, he went back and pressed his ear to the door. Still no sound. Could they have sensed someone was listening and put a spell up to protect them? No, surely not. If they believed he was out there they would come out and most likely teach him a painful lesson. They simply weren't talking. Draco had a crazy idea. What if he just barged in all of a sudden? The door wasn't locked so what would happen. _I'd die like an idiot, that's what would happen._ He suddenly heard the Dark Lord saying something and then heard footsteps heading towards the door. There was no time to run now. Draco Apparated back in his own room. He heard the Dark Lord closing the front door of the Manor and breathed a sigh of relief. 

 

At the time, he thought that perhaps it wasn't that strange for the Dark Lord to come inspecting his followers' children. He knew now however that he had been eavesdropping on the Dark Lord's first meeting with his daughter. 

When he told his parents about the incident, his father did not seem to think it strange. His mother however pursed her lips as though she saw a meaning in the event that her son and husband missed. Draco realized now how foolish they had all been at the time. One needed only to do the math to realize that Delphi had been conceived approximately one month before Rodolphus returned from Azkaban. At the time, no one bothered to check Bellatrix's story and Rodolphus did not deny his wife's version. _Of course not. He was in on it the whole time. Poor bloke._

Months later, Draco heard his mother arguing with her sister in the kitchen. It had not surprised him as they were both like cats and dogs those days, especially after the debacle with Potter's capture and then escape from the Manor. His mother thought Bellatrix had put their whole family in danger  
with her recklessness. Out of everyone present, she was the one the Dark Lord had punished least. _That makes sense now, thought Draco._ He could recall their almost exact words. 

 

_April 1998_

”I'm not sure what you're implying, Narcissa,” Draco heard his aunt say in the kitchen. Whenever Bellatrix called her sister by her full name there was trouble. 

”I'm not implying anything,” replied his mother sharply. ”Do you think the magical outburst that your infant daughter is capable of is normal for a child her age? Because I bloody sure don't remember Draco doing anything of the kind when he was three months old.” His mother sounded angrier than he'd heard her in a while. 

Bellatrix only laughed at this. ”Well that doesn't surprise me. Since when is your son a wizarding prodigy anyway, dear sister? Don't tell me you're envious of my daughter's skill.” Draco was hurt by this comment. He had always got along well with Bellatrix so he had no idea why she was dragging him and his skills or lack thereof into the conversation. _I was certainly skilled enough to bring Death Eaters into Hogwarts. All you've done lately, aunty, is bring even more disgrace over my father._

”This has nothing do with my son and you know it,” his mother screeched. ”Let me put it to you very plainly, Bellatrix. I do not believe for a second that Rodolphus is the father of your child.”

Silence followed his mother's bold statements. Draco could only imagine his aunt's facial expression.

”I will not engage in this ridiculous conversation,” said Bellatrix calmly. ”Suspect whatever you like, dear sister, but keep your ideas to yourself. I can see that my child and I are an inconvenience to you but I can assure you that we will be out of your house as soon as the battle is over.”

Before Draco had time to make himself scarce, Bellatrix had come out of the kitchen and seen him standing there. She gave him a harsh look and bit her lower lip knowing he'd probably heard what she said about him. She was not one to apologize however so she merely walked away back to her room. 

 

So many years had passed since then. He remembered not making much out of his mother statements at the time. It was not as if his mother had clearly said that she suspected the Dark Lord of being the baby's father. That was a gap Draco did not fill by himself at the time. After Bellatrix had been killed and with Rodolphus in prison once again, Narcissa gave Delphi away and that was that. There had been no more talk about the girl or her parentage. She now belonged to the Rowles regardless of who her parents had been. Draco remembered that Madam Rowles used Delphi as an argument for why she and her husband should have their freedom. They were trying to make Minister Shacklebolt take pity on them as they had a small child to take care of. It was not Delphi who kept them out of Azkaban but her wellbeing certainly weighed into the Minister's decision. When Potter started talking about Albus and Scorpius having been kidnapped by a girl called Delphi, Draco realized it meant his cousin. But he kept his mouth shut and faked ignorance because whatever the outcome of the situation, he would not draw any attention to him or his parents. If he had known about Delphi's father sooner, he would have certainly used the information to end the vicious rumours about his son and wife.  
He crossed the street staring at the windows of the wand shop. He remembered being here with Scorpius as his son chose his wand, or rather, let the wand chose him, in preparation for his first day at Hogwarts. Draco cherished that memory more than the memory of him getting his own wand at eleven, with his mother and father beaming at him. He now had his own family to care for, or at least a son. With the rumors about Scorpius's parentage laid to rest, the boy would no longer have to be a social pariah. And if Draco's estranged cousin ever wandered in his path again or threatened his son in any way, he would make sure it was the last thing she ever did. _And I don't care whose daughter your are._


	6. The Dark Lord's most faithful servant

Bellatrix watched her daughter eat breakfast in the livingroom where they had their first conversation. Delphini was sitting with one leg tucked under her, drawing small invisible circles on the floor with the toes of the other leg. Her long hair was tied up in a loose bun on top of her head. She had not even been out of Azkaban twenty-four hours yet she was already thriving and feeling at home. _This won't be our home for long, little one._ Bellatrix knew the Daily Prophet had most likely already informed the entire magical community of Delphi's escape. It will be only a matter of time until her daughter's face will be on _Wanted_ posters all over the country. The Aurors would be fools if they didn't spread them to other countries as well. 

They were currently in France now where Bellatrix had lived for six months before finding out about Delphi's arrest. The house was small but comfortable and since Bellatrix spoke fluent French she had had no difficulties talking to people when she needed it. But France's proximity to the UK was dangerous, they need to go further away. _The US perhaps?_ Bellatrix had spent some years there after she recovered from her injuries in the battle. _It might work._ The Minister would probably not spread the word as far as that at least at first. The fact of the matter was that hiding Delphini anywhere would prove to be a difficult endeavor. It was one thing when you were believed to be dead and no one bothered looking for you, and quite another when any magical community in the world could be alerted to your fugitive status and provided with your picture. Her daughter could probably be disguised, there were spells which could alter her features. But their effect did not last long and it would be tedious to apply them all the time. There was only one solution. They had to start living among Muggles where they will be just two ordinary women, mother and daughter. Muggles were scum of course, Bellatrix knew this. Yet their ignorance of the magical world was exactly what they needed at this point. 

Bellatrix stirred her coffee with a small spoon. Yes, it is the only way. Her daughter would not like it but she would have no choice in the matter. 

”So... will you live forever or what?” asked Delphi casually, licking honey from her fingers and buttering another piece of toast. Bellatrix's hand instinctively reached to the pendant around her neck. She wore it at all times. _The Dark Lord parted with his Horcruxes and look where it got him._ She smiled at Delphini. ”Anxious to get rid of your old mother already?” 

”Certainly not!” Delphi answered, genuinely outraged at the suggestion. ”I'm just... wondering, that's all.” 

Bellatrix saw no harm in answering truthfully. ”Immortality was your father's dream not mine. Once I make sure you are safe and settled into a good life I shall destroy this Horcrux and let nature take its course. I assure you I will not be hovering over your shoulder forever.” 

Delphi smiled. ”It certainly feels good to be protected by an invincible mother,” she said. 

”Oh but I am not invincible, dear. I can still be imprisoned and even if no one found out my secret, I certainly would not wish to spend eternity in Azkaban.” Bellatrix flinched at her own scenario. There were times during her imprisonment when she doubted the Dark Lord would come from her. Those times were the worst, the times when she'd thought she'd made a mistake to believe in him. She shook away the thought. ”Which is why it is imperative for us to find a good hiding place. As soon as possible.” 

”Where are we going?” asked Delphi wiping her mouth with a napkin and leaning back in her chair. 

”I do not know yet. But wherever we're going we will have to live among Muggles,” said Bellatrix, and waited for the outburst she knew would come. 

Delphi's face changed at once. ”No way! I'm not going to pretend to be one of them and only use my magic in private. It's undignified and— ”

”Be quiet, girl!” Bellatrix snapped. ”What's undignified is rotting away in Azkaban while your enemies happily go about their lives. You will do whatever it takes to maintain your freedom. This is the life you chose when you attempted to bring your father back. No one put that time turner in your hand or that idea in your head! Did you think you could just go away for a couple of years and then come back as though everyone has forgotten about you? They will never stop hunting you.” 

Delphi looked down rubbing her arm as though Bellatrix had hit her. ”I understand”, she said quietly. ”I'll do whatever it takes, of course.” 

”Good,” said Bellatrix. She drew her fingers through her hair. ”I will think of where we should go next. We are safe here for now. My protective charms are strong enough to keep us undetected and this house is located in a Muggle area, anyway.” _Yes, you're already among them, little one._ She couldn't say that she was disappointed at her daughter's furious reaction. No daughter of hers should be content to live among Muggles yet one must do what is necessary. There was no more time for pureblood politics. Bellatrix did still try to apply them in her own life though. She had never lain with any man she suspected of being a mudblood or a werewolf. She couldn't tell which was worse. Yet the girl in front of her was the product of a union with a halfblood. No point denying the Dark Lord's blood status now. What she had done was almost as bad in her family's eyes as her sister Andromeda's actions. But she did not regret anything. _Toujours pur,_ she said to herself smiling. 

Her daughter's voice brought her back from her musings. ”Did my father want me?” Delphini asked, hesitantly. ”I mean, when he found out I was coming. Did he want me?” _Good grief, will the child stop her queries already!_ Of all the questions Delphini had asked her since they had met, this was going to be the hardest one to answer. 

 

_July 1997_

The Dark Lord was sitting in the Malfoys' dining room at the long wooden table. His elbows were resting on it, his spread fingertips touching making him look like he was praying. He contemplated the news she had just given him. The Malfoys would be away for the entire evening so she figured this would be a good time to tell him. As good a time as any at least. There was no right time to break such news to the Dark Lord. Yet if she persisted in hiding it from him by closing her mind whenever he approached, he would soon start suspecting her of treason. 

When he finally spoke after a long pause he almost startled her. ”I see,” he said calmly. ”And you blame me for your, ah, ... _predicament_?” He was questioning the parentage of the child, she had been expecting this. 

”Yes, my Lord. I mean...” she realized at once that she had implied that she was blaming him, ”I am certain that this child belongs to you.” Her mouth was dry and she could not stop wringing her hands. 

”I am sorry to disappoint you, Bellatrix, but my body cannot produce children. When I was returned to my human state through dark magic some bodily functions were not restored. I cannot procreate,” he answered simply. 

She pondered on this for a moment. She knew he was not like other men yet she also knew he was wrong about his abilities. She had not been with any other wizards at the time. The child was his. 

”With all due respect, my Lord, it seemed to me as though your body was acting quite...normally.” He frowned at her words. _Tread carefully now..._ ”I am not doubting your own knowledge but the fact remains that I have not been with other men. My husband was in prison at the time as my Lord recalls.” 

He merely laughed at this.”Your husband was locked away, I do not deny this. Yet surely someone such as yourself could have caught the eye of other men.” 

She flushed. ”I assure you I did not.” She needed to change tactics. She could not persevere in this attempt to get an acknowledgement from him. If he did not believe her so be it. She had done her duty and told him. It would only infuriate him and get her crucioed if she insisted.”My Lord, I can assure you that this child will not impede my ability to fight for you. You will have the full range of my talents and battle prowess as soon as the child is out of my womb.” Perhaps a bit inappropiate to mention her female parts to her master. _It hardly matters. He's seen them... and kissed them._

”Do I understand you correctly that you intend to give birth to this child?” he asked her, his red eyes narrowing. ”Perhaps I should remind you that we stand on the brink of a great battle which will decide the fate of my regime. An opportunity to seize Potter will soon present itself to me and once the boy is out of the way we march for Hogwarts. Or perhaps you suggest I wait a few months more until you've had the child?” He leaned back in his seat considering the effect his words had on her. 

”Of course not, my Lord. When you are ready for battle so will I be,” she assured him yet even she knew she was speaking nonsense. 

He threw his hands up in a mock wondering gesture. ”I do not see how. You cannot control your body in such a way.” He got up from his chair and took a few steps towards her. She instinctively backed away a bit hoping he would not notice. 

”Let us put an end to this sham,” he said as though they were having a business meeting. ”I will admit that this child is most likely mine. No matter. Who the father is seems quite irrelevant to me. You need to put an end to it anyway, Bellatrix. You certainly cannot expect to carry and birth a child in times like these.” She knew he was right. Of course the war's end was approaching and she did not want to miss it because she would be either too big to duel or caught in childbirth. Yet still...

”My Lord, if I could just— ” she started but was soon interrupted by his cold voice. 

”I know you are disappointed. I understand that you have planned all of this very carefully.”

”W-what? No!” she replied understanding what he was accusing her of. ”I did not plan it, my Lord. I've never wanted children, not yours, not Rodolphus's, not anyone's”, she cried, feeling the redness spread from her cheeks to her neck. ”But this is the situation I find myself in.”

”You can find yourself out of it as well,” he said. ”Ask your Healer, she'll know what to do.” When she did not say anything he resumed. ”What is the alternative? Did you think we would raise a child together?” His cruel, sarcastic smile showed how much he was amusing himself at her expense. ”Would you like me to make you my bride or my queen as well?” 

_Yes._ But out loud she said, ”I know this seems impossible my lord but I can assure you it will not interfere with my being a useful servant to you.” 

He pulled his cloak tightly around his shoulders. ”I will no longer entertain such nonsense. My time is too precious,” he hissed. ”I hereby order you to get this matter resolved at your earliest convenience. Come back and see me when you have done so. I see no reason why you have informed me about this at all, Bellatrix. You have a head on your shoulders, put it to good use. You do not have to consult me on issues to which you already know the answer.” 

Before she had time to reply, he walked out of the room thus ending their conversation. 

 

Bellatrix's lack of an answer was answer enough for her daughter. ”So I guess that's a no then. He didn't want me to exist,” Delphi said quietly. 

Bellatrix waved her wand and their plates levitated slowly towards the kitchen. ”Be assured that if your father had not wanted you to exist you would not be sitting in front of me right now,” she answered. ”He was not pleased when he first found out the news. But he gradually began to accept the idea. He began to see the use that you could be to him.” 

Delphini's face brightened at once as though she had remembered something. ”Of course!” she said excitedly. ”He would have made his faithful servant had he lived to see the end of the war.”

Bellatrix nodded. ”Quite possibly,” she said. 

”No, I mean, I know for sure that he would have done so!” said her daughter beaming, her sadness vanished now. 

”And how pray tell can you know this for sure?” asked Bellatrix frowning. 

”It was what the boy, Scorpius, told me. He ended up in another timeline where my father ruled the world and I, the Augurey, ruled the Ministry of Magic. I was his right hand, I'm sure of it.” 

_And where was I in this 'timeline'? Dead, alive, disgraced? Was I at his side?_ Bellatrix twirled her wand between her fingers. ”Well then, there's your answer. It does not surprise me. Your father liked my idea of what you could do for him. That was why he allowed you to be born and live.”

”Your idea? You convinced him to keep me?” asked Delphi, surprised. 

”I don't know why you are so surprised, little one. Out of the two of us only I wanted you to exist. Your father needed to be persuaded as to your use. You must know something of his personality,” Bellatrix said. 

”Oh yes, I do. The books said he valued only people he could use in some way. But I don't mind. I would have gladly served him,” Delphi answered. 

_Spoken like a true Death Eater, your mother's daughter._ ”Yes. He had no patience for useless people who did not advance his goals. But as a child you would have been useless to him for quite some time before you grew up and could become a Death Eater. It was not easy persuading him to keep you and I took quite a great risk going against his will,” said Bellatrix, getting up and heading towards the kitchen. 

Delphi put her elbows on the table and rested her head between her palms as though she was getting ready to hear a fascinating tale. ”What did you say?” she asked. ”What did you do?”

 

_July 1997_

Almost two weeks had passed since Bellatrix had broken the news to her master. She had done nothing to obey his orders, did not contact the Healer, did not take any steps to get rid of the baby. She kept the secret to herself despite probing questions from her sister and Dolohov, who as one of her very few friends, could see that something was wrong. _Soon my body will betray me._ It was doing so already. Bellatrix suffered from fainting spells and nausea. Nothing unusual, the Healer assured her but it still did not do to pass out in front of her fellows like she had a week ago. They were beginning to wonder about her and Dolohov was asking about her health whenever he saw her. 

She had no idea what her plan was. Plead with her master, beg him, what else could she do? _Grit your teeth and obey his orders, fool, lest you fancy a jet of green light in your chest._ Would he actually kill her? She knew that for all his displeasure he considered her useful but how far could her duelling talents and loyalty take her? She was not his only capable fighter and if he decided that she had become a liability it would not matter how talented she was. He had often told her she was his most faithful and she believed him. She knew it was true and that she had his trust. But would he trust her enough to grant her her wish? She tried to encourage herself. _If any follower has a chance of persuading him of anything it is most certainly me._

The whole situation was absurd as she did not want children either, had never wanted any in fact. But now here she was stubbornly clinging to the little life in her belly. It was not just sentimentality, however. She could also see the potential of the situation and needed to make her master see it too. She would go to him now and talk. But whenever she thought about discussing the matter with him again, her pulse quickened and she feared for her life. There was no telling what he would do when he found out that the problem still had not been resolved. Even if he spared her life it was not as though he could not kill the baby. _Yet this meeting must occur, there is no other way._

He made things easier for her by Apparating in the Malfoys' drawing room while she sat there turning the pages of the paper absently. He took off his cloak and put it on a chair. 

”I trust you have good news for me, Bellatrix,” he said appearing to be in a good mood. 

_Yes, I have decided to disobey your orders and have your child, my Lord._ A shiver went down her spine at the very thought of informing him of this. 

She got up from her seat. ”No my Lord, I'm afraid nothing has changed.” Her voice was already shaking. 

The Dark Lord stared at her. ”I see. Perhaps you need more time?” he offered. 

This was it. ”My Lord, I have considered this matter quite carefully and I believe that the best thing for you and your regime would be to have this child.” She swallowed, her chest heaving. Any second now he would start firing curses. 

”Well, I thank you so much for your concern for me and my regime, Bellatrix,” he said coldly. ”Let me assure you that I know what needs to be done and I am quite sure my orders to you were clear.” 

”My Lord, I would never insist on having this child if it were a liability. But under my guidance this child can grow up and become a faithful Death Eater to you. I must speak plainly, my Lord. Many of my fellows do not adore you. They only pursue their own interests. You saw how they would not seek you when you fell. This child will have no interests aside from your own, I can assure you of that. Whether it will be a boy or a girl— ”

”As the child shall not be born, its sex is inconsequential,” he snapped, his fingers clutching the back of the chair tightly. 

”My Lord, I must beg of you to see the value in this endeavor. This child is a part of you— ”

”Do not appeal to my emotions, you should know by now that I do not have any,” he said coldly. 

_I was appealing to your ego, actually._ ”No, of course not. I desire nothing of you except to allow this child to be born as a favour to me. It will not inconvenience you in any way and when it is old enough to serve you it will do so loyally. You have already allowed Lucius's son a chance to prove himself to you so why not grant the same chance to your own child?” 

He did not move. She knew his mind was racing but his wand was nowhere in sight so maybe he was considering her words. She pushed the matter a bit further, ”If the child disappoints you or does not share your goals you can always kill it then. There can be no match for your skill, my Lord, even if the child might inherit some of your powers.” 

There was a long pause before he said, ”Very well. I will allow you to keep this child. On one condition: you must not reveal to anyone that I am the father. No one must know and this includes your sister, Bellatrix. Until I have killed Potter and defeated the resistance to my order, it must not be known that I have a child.”

”No my Lord of course not,” she sad her relief evident in her voice. ”I will tell everyone that this child is mine with Rodolphus and he will tell them the same thing.” She could not be sure of his cooperation but she would find a way to persuade him. _You owe me this much, dear husband. I overlooked your infidelity for years._

Her master nodded. ”Tell your husband he will be rewarded for his trouble.” He put his cloak back on and headed for the door. ”I will be holding a meeting here in a few days, I trust I will see you there?”

”Of course,” she said eagerly. He let himself out. She felt her body slumping into a chair as though all strength had drained from her. She was tired but happy. _I won._ She will get to keep her life and her baby. 

 

Her daughter was staring at her fascinated. Bellatrix checked her wrist watch. They had to be on their way, the whole morning had been spent on discussing family history. Of course the girl needed to know and Bellatrix answered all her questions as well as she could. She remembered those days very clearly. They had been the best and in some ways the worst of her life. During the first war she had been a simple Death Eater. She met with her master regularly and he would teach her powerful spells which she would use against his enemies. She was also the fiancée and later the wife of Rodolphus Lestrange. _And already unpopular among the other Death Eaters_ , she remembered amused. During the years preceding her stay in Azkaban, her path was clear to her. She would serve her lord as the rest of her fellows, only better and more faithfully. Truth be told, she was already worried even at that time that she was developing inappropriate feelings for her master. Yet she dismissed them, thinking she had just been charmed by him in the same way most of his followers were. 

The years in Azkaban had without a doubt been the darkest ones in her life (with the only exception of the years spent away from her daughter). She had lost track of time and when she escaped it was Lucius and Narcissa who informed her that she had been gone for fourteen years. But when she began to recover after a few months of only resting and eating, she sensed that things will be different this time around. _Well, I was certainly not wrong about that._

A month after the Dark Lord agreed to let her keep the child, she was sent on a mission to kill a man who had in some way angered her master. She did not exactly understand what he had done but gladly complied with her master's wish. When the deed was done her master had greeted her cheerfully. He had summoned her at the Riddle Manor which she took as a sign that he wanted to spend the night with her. However, his intentions proved to go beyond that. 

That night was merely a blurry memory in her mind now, only a shadow. Yet it was that night's events which allowed her to be sitting across from her daughter sipping her coffee now. She squeezed the crystal pendant in her hand. She remembered her lord talking to her about Horcruxes, telling her about his plan for her, calling her ”Bella” several times. _Affection in order to gain my cooperation._ She recalled her own resistance and his voice getting angrier and angrier at her folly. But she would not yield. Then, the violence she had feared for so long finally came. She only remembered some spells flying across the room, her own wand slashing the air. She must have put up a fight yet only fragments of it remained in her mind now. One of his spells engulfed her like a cloud. She felt her body relax and go down until she was lying on the floor. His footsteps towards her and then his fingers on her cheek. ”Don't worry, sweetness, this will not hurt you. Nor the child,” he whispered softly. All she could do was moan her disapproval before darkness descended upon her. 

When she woke up, he was not pleased with her but happy at his success. He handed her the pendant. In the beginning, whenever she touched it she would recoil. It gave her shivers. But with time, she begin to tolerate its being near her body. During the Battle at Hogwarts it had been in one of her robe's secret inner pockets. _Foolish of me to take my Horcrux with me to a fight. It could have been smashed._

After her recovery, she began to wear it round her neck. Like a gift from him, even though his gifts always came with strings attached. She shrugged. _He just did not want to be left alone with a child. I promised him I would train his right hand follower and he held me to that._ There will be no training of Delphi to join her father, sadly. But Bellatrix knew she would do her best to keep her daughter safe, that much was sure. 

”Mum, are you alright?” asked Delphi when Bellatrix had not spoken for a while. 

”Quite alright,” she replied with a smile. ”Get yourself ready, Delphini, we must leave.”


	7. Flight of the Augurey

Delphi was looking at her face in the bathroom mirror trying to find resemblances with her mother's. She had definitely inherited the Black family's aristocratic looks, with her high cheekbones and her heart-shaped face. But that's where the similarity to her mother ended. Bellatrix had blue eyes, while Delphi's were grey. Their shape was also different than hers. _Must have inherited them from my father._ While Delphi did not consider herself to be as beautiful as her mother, she thought her face looked kinder and more approachable. She smiled. Wherever she will end up, there will be no shortage of young men who would try to strike up a conversation with her. 

She had never had a vibrant social life so she had nothing and no one tying her to the UK. She knew that from now on social relationships will be even more difficult to have. She will spend a lot of time around Muggles and Muggles were not likely to be very stimulant company for a witch of her calibre. As for other witches and wizards... her mother told her that the Aurors were very likely to search for her in all magical communities around the world. But Delphi still hung on to the hope that maybe in a decade or so she will be, if not forgotten, certainly less of a priority for Aurors. Perhaps a new dangerous dark witch or wizard will come along and she will be able to move more freely. Her mother had lived in hiding for a year before her father took over the Ministry and she could move in with her sister. But Bellatrix had not been forced to live among Muggles as the Minister at the time did not have such tight connections to other wizarding communities as Minister Granger had. Being Muggleborn, the Minister was also likely to have good relations with Muggle ministers around the world which put Delphi in danger. Even in Muggle communities she would be forced to keep a low profile at first. Bellatrix told her that her hair would draw too much attention and that it might need to be either cut or allowed to return to its natural dark brown colour. _That's alright I suppose. I need to leave my past behind._ But for now, she brushed it and put it in a ponytail. 

She still felt as though the past twelve hours were only a dream and she will wake up any moment back in her Azkaban cell. The revelations surrounding her family still made her head spin. She had speculated for so long about her mother, her father, and even her aunts, and in her head she had different versions of their personalities and of how they felt about her. Her father she put on a special pedestal and she liked to imagine that he would have doted on her. _Silly me._ Somewhere deep down she knew what kind of man he was and such men never embraced parenthood. So her mother's stories about him did not surprise her even if she was hurt at first that he had been so adamantly against her birth. But she supposed it did not matter if he did not love her so long as he was willing to give her the world, to share his rule with her. _And that I know for a fact that you would have done, father._

Delphi smiled. She had no idea where they will be heading next but she could not wait to get there. Bellatrix told her they would have to move a lot but Delphi did not mind. She had never been abroad before, all her life had been in confinement in some way. She wanted to see the world and now she would get to do so. _And what else will I do?_ She was not sure what else could occupy her time. Her mother assured her that money was not a problem so neither of them would need to work, nor could they work except in the Muggle world, maybe. Delphi had never known what she wanted to do with her life even when growing up. When she found out about her parentage, it gave her a sense of purpose unknown to her until that point. But at that she failed. _Well not entirely, I did bring back my mother._ In time she will figure everything out. She knew she wanted to learn more spells and she could do so from her mother who was superior in skill to many of the Hogwarts Professors. 

Delphi walked into the bedroom. Bellatrix was packing some clothes. As Delphi had only her prison clothes on her when she was rescued she borrowed some of her mother's dresses for the time being. They were about the same size and height, yet they both agreed that their taste did not match. Delphi looked forward to go shopping when they reached their destination. Wherever that was. 

”Are you ready, little one?” Bellatrix asked putting on a scarf and closing the bag. 

”Yes, mother. Where are we going?” she asked cheerfully. 

”Well, we have train tickets to Germany for now. And then when we get there we'll see where we go next,” Bellatrix answered handing her a train ticket. 

”Train? This is a Muggle train,” said Delphi turning the ticket over and frowning. 

”Yes, love.” Bellatrix smiled. ”I told you we'll have to live among them so better start geting used to it. The Aurors are not likely to have already put surveillance on Muggle trains.”

Delphi put the ticket in her coat's pocket. ”I suppose anything is better than Azkaban,” she said. ”Hey, maybe we can send Potter and Granger postcards from each city we visit!” Bellatrix looked at her like she was crazy. ”Relax, I'm only joking,” said Delphi smiling. 

”One can never tell with you,” said Bellatrix. ”Perhaps you would like another opportunity to ask them to kill you, this time in writing.”

Delphi's smile faded. _So you know about that._ She was not proud about that but she had been scared and desperate at the time. But she understood that neither her mother nor her father would have done anything of the sort so she knew what Bellatrix would say before she said it. 

”We do not cower before of our enemies, Delphini,” said her mother in a grandiose voice. ”We accept defeat gracefully because we know it's only temporary.” Delphi smiled again. She knew that better than anyone. _Augurey? I should have been a Phoenix._

”I'm ready to leave now,” she said and put the bag on her shoulder. Bellatrix waved her wand and all traces of their short inhabitance vanished from the house. It stood completely empty. They stepped outside. Delphi took Bellatrix's arm and they Disapparated together towards a new beginnning.


End file.
